It’s been a pretty tough week here. Wednesday I attended the funeral of baby Graham…which is something I had hoped and prayed we wouldn’t have to do. While the odds were stacked against him from the beginning of his short life, we all prayed diligently for healing and health…but it just wasn’t to be. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child…especially after waiting so long for the blessing of one. I just can’t make heads or tails of it…none of us can. All we can do is lean on our faith and pray for comfort and peace. I pray that Scott and Julie will be washed in the peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit and know that their baby is safe and healthy in heaven. It’s hard to know what to say to try and comfort her…it’s hard to feel comfort myself and I am just a friendly bystander. The sadness I feel for Julie is profound. It caught me off guard…I just couldn’t fight the wave of grief that bubbled up and poured out when I got the news that he was gone. And sitting at the funeral, seeing my dear friend crumpled against her husband’s shoulder weeping…I couldn’t stop the tears from streaming. I think we will all grieve for a long time about the life which could have been. I know they will be strong and their faith will carry them through, and in time they will be ok. It’s just such a terrible thing to have to endure. I know how precious life is…how fleeting it can be…how everything can change in a moment’s time. And yet it is so easy to go through the daily motions and forget. I don’t want to live my life in fear of the unknown…but I want to live my life with as much gratitude and awareness as possible. I don’t want to drift from day to day and not realize that I’m surrounded by blessings. I want to live with my eyes open…with my heart overflowing…and so I will try to put this grief behind me as well and be thankful that I have a friend I love this much, who I’ve remained close with for nearly 20 years. I will hope that soon she will see through her tears to the many blessings in her life as well…that her story has touched many lives, and filled many hearts…that Graham’s short life was not for nothing…he touched thousands, and their family’s faith will have a resounding impact on many other families. I know God is good and He will make something beautiful out of this experience…He always does.
So, I’ve been trying to sort out how to start this story. It’s been difficult to articulate. Difficult to pick which details to share, and which to hold close. But it’s a story too good, too beautiful, not to share – so here goes! When Matt and I first became parents, we thought our family was complete. We envisioned raising Ethan surrounded by loving friends and family – just the two of us. Given all that we had gone through to finally become parents, we felt content with just the one child. The most adorable boy in the whole wide world. Our Ethan was the apple of our eyes – the most amazing gift. We marveled at all of his accomplishments, soaked up all his love and personality, and celebrated the joy of parenthood at every exhausting, wonderful turn. Along the way, we’ve built a strong and loving relationship with Ethan’s birthmother. We visit yearly, and stay in close contact with pictures, emails, and texts. I have attempted to describe my feelings for her many times over the
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